1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwashers and, more particularly, to a utility link that interconnects a washing chamber to a outer housing of a drawer-type dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In general, dishwashers having pull-out drawers supported in cabinets are known in the art. The dishwasher may include a single, pull-out drawer or wash tub or, in some cases, the dishwasher will include an upper, pull-out drawer forming a first wash tub for washing dishware and a lower pull-out drawer forming a second wash tub that can be selectively operated to supplement the first wash tub. In any event, known drawer-type wash tubs are mounted on extensible rails that are carried by a surrounding cabinet. Typically, the cabinet is positioned under a kitchen countertop, adjacent to cabinetry or other kitchen appliances.
In order to allow the wash tub to be withdrawn from the cabinet, any utility connections, such as water or electrical lines, between the wash tub and the cabinet must either be flexible or sufficiently long to facilitate the loading and unloading of dishware. Simply making the lines long enough to provide sufficient length to withdraw the wash chamber has also not proven effective. Long lines and hoses often become tangled or snagged on the interior structure of the cabinet. In addition, a flexible line cannot be so large as to droop, as the line can interfere or snag on internal structure of the appliance. Over time, repeated snags will create a risk of tearing or cracking the lines/hoses and breaking the connections.
Still, in order to increase the overall utility of drawer-type dishwashers, the extensible wash tub must be able to extend out completely from the cabinet. For instance, loading and unloading of large kitchenware, such as mixing bowls, baking pans and the like, can be very difficult if access to the wash tub is limited. Therefore, there exists a need for a utility connection that permits full extension of a wash tub of a drawer-type dishwasher. More specifically, there exists a need for a utility connection that allows full extension of the wash tub, while assuring that the utility connection does not snag on or interfere with other structure of the dishwasher.